Chapter 68: Daydreams

Ding: Congratulations on completing the task ‘Contract’. You have obtained a Jiujiu Flower Pot.
While practicing in his room, Lin Dong suddenly heard the system notification and felt delighted. It had only taken a day to finish the contract with Niu Dabing.
After choosing to claim the reward, a yellow-brown flower pot appeared beside him.
Jiujiu Flower Pot: When activated, it increases the alcohol tolerance of one table of guests by 10%. It consumes 0.1 unit of spiritual energy per month. (The effect is invalid if the table is more than 10 meters away from the pot.)
Picking up the pot, Lin Dong found it quite heavy. Since it only increased the alcohol tolerance of one table and the percentage increase was fixed, this Jiujiu Flower Pot wasn’t exactly a great reward. Fortunately, it only consumed 0.1 unit of spiritual energy per month. Converted to spirit stones, that would be 0.1 first-tier spirit stone, or just 100 coins per month.
Since it increased guests’ alcohol tolerance, the Jiujiu Flower Pot should be placed near guests who drank a lot and preferred good liquor.
After equipping the Jiujiu Flower Pot in the inn’s system, Lin Dong thought for a moment before going out to call Wang Liuzhi.
“Plant a flower in it and place it in the corner of the first private room on the second floor of the lobby. Tell the staff to direct any regular customers who like good liquor upstairs to this room.”
“Mm!”
Wang Liuzhi nodded and took the flower pot. He was used to following Lin Dong’s instructions without asking questions or seeking explanations.
After watching Wang Liuzhi leave, Lin Dong returned to his room to continue practicing.
After more than ten days with no news, Xiao Tianchi finally arrived at the inn. During those days, although Fenglin Restaurant also put up signboards offering consultations, thanks to its early advantage, the number of guests on the second floor of the inn continued to rise, and it seemed likely to surpass Fenglin Restaurant soon.
Lin Dong believed that at this rate, the second floor of Lin’s Inn would become a gathering place for merchants in Xilan City in another ten to fifteen days. Unless Fenglin Restaurant had some way to turn things around or was wealthy enough to afford losses, it would have to close within two months.
In terms of cultivation, he was just a few days away from reaching the fourth level of the Heart Stirring stage. Aside from cooking meals himself or taking Tianhao out, Lin Dong spent most of his time focusing on this final push.
After exchanging a few words, Lin Dong led Xiao Tianchi to the back yard. Instead of having the staff call Tianhao, he brought him directly to his room.
Pouring a glass of water for Xiao Tianchi, Lin Dong said with a smile, “Master Xiao, I heard from Tianhao that you went out to find medicinal pills for him?”
Xiao Tianchi was momentarily stunned. He glanced at Lin Dong and nodded in agreement.

Lin Dong was speechless. With that expression, the old fox was probably afraid he would take away the pills he had obtained—how stingy.
“Shopkeeper Lin, the new inn is doing well, right?” Xiao Tianchi quickly changed the subject.
“Mm!” Lin Dong replied indifferently.
Xiao Tianchi’s heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t been informed by Tianhao and was brought here alone—could it be for the pills?
Helplessly, Xiao Tianchi smiled and said, “Shopkeeper Lin, I heard you’re also practicing cultivation. I’ve been traveling around lately and, with some boldness, managed to get three pills, all intended for Tianhao’s practice. If you’re interested, how about taking one?”
“I was just joking with Sect Master Xiao,” Lin Dong said, sitting down on the stool. “I invited Sect Master Xiao here to discuss Tianhao’s matter. I think you still remember why I agreed to let Tianhao join the Gu Huan Sect, right?”
Xiao Tianchi sighed in relief with a wry smile and nodded. “Shopkeeper Lin wants me to teach Tianhao how to conduct himself in society.”
“Tianhao has indeed made considerable progress in that regard,” Lin Dong said thoughtfully. “But I think his skin color has changed even more. Before, he could hardly be called fair-skinned. After staying in the Gu Huan Sect for a few months, his features are barely recognizable now.”
Xiao Tianchi couldn’t help but laugh. “So that’s why, Shopkeeper Lin. Although Tianhao has rare talent, no matter how great the talent, it’s useless without diligence as a foundation.”
“I know, but there’s no need to be so strict, right?” Lin Dong said irritably. “After all, Tianhao is only eleven or twelve years old. He spends his days practicing cultivation—no fun at all. Is being a peak expert that interesting? Don’t tell me that being a peak expert is the greatest joy; Tianhao isn’t a cultivation fanatic.”
“Well…” Xiao Tianchi hesitated for a moment before speaking honestly, “I had Tianhao practice on the peak of Gu Huan Sect mainly so he could make breakthroughs in spiritual techniques. To be honest with you, Shopkeeper Lin, the highest spiritual technique in the Gu Huan Sect is only at the fourth level. No matter how high Tianhao’s realm may be, without a corresponding-level spiritual technique, his strength will be greatly reduced. So, after discussing it with the elders, we could only hope that Tianhao’s talent might help improve the sect’s spiritual techniques.”
“What if there were spiritual techniques at the seventh or eighth level?” Lin Dong asked.
Xiao Tianchi sighed. “Only large sects have spiritual techniques at the seventh or eighth level. If such techniques really existed, how could I bear to make Tianhao go through such hardships?”
Lin Dong smiled calmly and took out the twenty-odd copies of spiritual technique formulas and cultivation diagrams he had rewritten, placing them casually on the table.

“Master Xiao, this was given to me by a reclusive expert who passed by the inn a few years ago. With your experience, you should be able to tell what level it is, right?”
Xiao Tianchi nodded, picked up a book, and glanced at the page—it was the Thunder Fist Technique. Just as he was about to turn to the first page, his body trembled, and he stood up abruptly: “Wind Blade Technique? Isn’t that the sacred technique of the original Wind Blade Sect? The Wind Blade Sect has been destroyed for over a hundred years—how could the Wind Blade Technique end up in Manager Lin’s hands?”
“I already said it—this was given to me by a reclusive expert. Master Xiao, please just check if this Wind Blade Technique is genuine.”
Lin Dong felt somewhat embarrassed. He realized that whenever there was something unexplainable or difficult to explain, blaming it on a reclusive expert was the easiest way out.
“Hmm!” Xiao Tianchi took a deep breath, sat back down, and began to study the Wind Blade Technique carefully. His expression grew increasingly solemn as time passed.
Suddenly, Xiao Tianchi stood up again, his voice trembling: “Manager Lin, I’m over 90% sure this is indeed the Wind Blade Technique—a seventh-level sacred technique.”
Lin Dong smiled and casually reminded him, “There seem to be about twenty more books.”
“Right, right!” Xiao Tianchi nodded eagerly. But after glancing at the titles, his mouth dropped open so wide it could have held a fist.
Misty Step! One of the two eighth-level sacred techniques that made the Misty Sect a great sect.
The more he read, the harder it was for Xiao Tianchi to close his mouth. All twenty-one sacred techniques were either seventh or eighth level.
With such an astonishing quantity and level, after putting the last sacred technique back on the table, Xiao Tianchi didn’t even dare touch it anymore. He was afraid that touching it might wake him from this dream.
Seeing Xiao Tianchi’s expression become increasingly erratic, Lin Dong understood. People like Fu Chunjian, who cared deeply about the world, would go to great lengths to exploit others after learning of Tianhao’s talent. Xiao Tianchi himself had a history of using Zhang Yuanlai to threaten and coerce people at the inn in order to recruit Tianhao as his disciple. With such huge benefits at stake, it was inevitable that evil thoughts would arise.
If he wanted to continue talking about Tianhao’s training by the cold pond that night, he would first need to get Xiao Tianchi back to his senses.
Lin Dong activated the inn system and silently thought about closing up for the day as he looked at Xiao Tianchi.
The next moment, Xiao Tianchi appeared outside the inn, his mouth still wide open, his expression unpredictable. Realizing he was outside the inn suddenly, his mind was stunned as if struck by lightning.
No wonder Manager Lin could have twenty-one high-level sacred techniques. No wonder he hadn’t fainted even when seeing them right in front of him.
It turned out he had indeed been dreaming!

He spent the whole day figuring out how to boost Tianhao’s strength as quickly as possible, to the point where he was already having hallucinations. After a long while, Xiao Tianchi patted his gaunt face, forced a wry smile, and stepped through the gate. After that dream, his complexion appeared visibly dull. He bowed weakly to Wang Liuzhi, who was counting money at the counter, and said in a feeble voice, “Young man, could you please inform Manager Lin that Xiao Tianchi has arrived?” Wang Liuzhi was stunned—was another Lord Xiao here? It wasn’t until Wang Liuzhi went to the back yard that Xiao Tianchi realized it definitely wasn’t a dream. Otherwise, those twenty-one spirit skill formulas and cultivation diagrams couldn’t have been so real. This realization made Xiao Tianchi’s body tremble violently. He wanted to chase after Wang Liuzhi, but he couldn’t move his legs at all.